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Security @ Ara Impian

Artist impression of proposed fencing at Ara Impian

Ara Impian is a collection of four neighbourhoods in the old phase of Ara Damansara namely Chelmsford, Palemo, Calarossa and Berkeley. Chelmsford is the smallest neighbourhood with less than 50 houses but collectively, they are a medium size community with a total of about 400 houses.

All four neighbourhoods share a common entrance today but an outsider will find it a bit strange there are three separate guard houses: one each for Palemo, Calarossa and Berkeley.

In terms of security, Berkeley is the current leader. She is the first in this community to create a gated and guarded neighbourhood following the footsteps of Attilia and Alissia community.

It is not easy to create a gated and guarded neighbourhood. There are differing opinions and almost everyone wants a say. It takes a lot of time and sacrifices of the volunteers to plan, engage, arbitrate and finally to gain consensus. Even then, it will not be 100%.

Recently, all residents in Ara Impian were invited for a potluck gathering. Many may know their immediate neighbours or someone across the streets. Unless you share some common grounds like both your kids go to the same school, it is quite unlikely you will know someone staying in another neighbourhood. So this event creates an opportunity to make new friends and extend your social network.

The residents came with a variety of food mostly home cooked but some took the convenience to order some fast food. There were games too for the children and their laughter were evidence they had a great time.
The highlights of the night was the announcement of a proposal to unite the community with a grand security plan. The proposal is for a gated and guarded community for Ara Impian. The fence will start from the border with the Semi-D neighbourhood with a common guard house at the common entrance and continuing along 1A/20 facing the Chelmsford neighbourhood. It then turns right following the big monsoon drain and joins up with the existing fencing at Berkeley.

With this grand plan, part of Berkeley’s fencing will become redundant. But not to worry, the plan was to dismantle the redundant stretches and to re-use them.

Now, the challenging part. It will take many more weeks and perhaps months before the project is confirmed. Don’t be surprised some residents will simply not participate. Some others may just pay lip service and will come up with a thousand reasons not to pay. The success or failure will hinge on the supporters, many share the belief it’s a small price to pay for a secured environment for themselves and their family. What’s the point of working hard to earn a living and then living in fear that you or your family members may be the next robbery victim?
When this project do get the mandate to proceed, it will represent a huge achievement: a community who is willing to come together putting aside their personal agenda and differences to create a more secured neighbourhood. Less obvious is this project complements another neighbourhood next door, the Semi-D community which is already gated and guarded. Together, they form a tightly controlled zone covering more than 500 houses with two round-the-clock manned entrance equipped with security cameras.

The vision of a safe and secured neighbourhood for all residents at Ara Impian is enough to give this project your support. I can’t think of a good reason why it shouldn’t.